Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to hydrating swellable clays.
Treatment fluids used in various downhole operations (e.g., drilling operations, cementing operations, and workover operations) may be viscosified with swellable clays that assist in maintaining particulates suspended in the treatment fluid. However, when preparing treatment fluids with saltwater or hard water, the chloride ion concentration or dissolved mineral concentration, respectively, have resulted in settling out of the clay and development of viscosities of only a small percentage of those which would result if fresh water were used. Without being limited by theory, the flocculation and lack of viscosity development may be due to the lessening of interparticle forces between the clay particles.